Safety registers, risk registers and hazard logs are nothing more than a large rear-end covering exercise.
I think you miss the point. The problem was not a pre-occupation with Safety Cases, Risk Registers etc, it was the conscious decision to issue orders that they were a waste of money and no longer be funded.
The current fixation, as Chug says, has come about because the same people ran down that part of the MoD which hitherto had quietly got on with this vital task. It is now high profile, and that attracts people who see a quick promotion. Precisely the wrong type when many years practical experience is a fundamental requirement. One only has to read the MAA documentation to see this gross inexperience.
How many audits do you really need?
One. The one that told the RAF Chief Engineer and Chief of the Air Staff that the aforesaid order was already having a detrimental effect. Every other inquiry/review/report, such as Haddon-Cave, has simply repeated those conclusions, far too long after the event. The important audit is the one which foresaw all the problems in infinite detail.